Update: GOP Committee failed to file financial disclosure reports

Update:Since the Reporter posted this story earlier the Shelter Island Republican Committee completed its filings for 2016 expenses and contributions and has partially filed the same information for 2017.with the New York State Board of Elections. The committee had expenses of $$10,252.47 and contributions of $7,360 for 2016. Numbers filed so far for 2017 show expenses of $4,811.54 and contributions of $5,010, but more numbers are to be filed for the rest of the 2017 data and for 2018, according to Amber Brach-Williams, party treasurer.

On Thursday, March 14, Ms. Brach-Williams said the party was completely up to date with its filings.

The original story is below.

The Shelter Island Republican Committee failed to file campaign contributions and expenditures with the New York State Board of Elections for more than three years, from January 2016 to February of this year.

Although it’s unknown who contributed to the GOP coffers, or how much money was taken in, some expenditures are known. Ads in the Reporter, paid for by the Shelter Island Republican Committee, totaled $3,700 in 2016 and $6,640 in 2017. But with no figures filed with the state, it’s unknown what the total expenditures were for those years.

The last filing by the Republicans was in 2015, when the committee reported contributions of $31,922 and expenditures of $28,536.

Asked Monday afternoon for an explanation for failure to file financial information with the state, GOP Committee Chairman Gary Blados referred questions to Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams, who has been treasurer of the Island’s Republican Committee since February 2012.

Ms. Brach-Williams told the Reporter that it had been an oversight. There were contributions and expenditures, she said, and she was preparing to file them with the state Board of Elections.

Heather Reylek, chairwoman of the Shelter Island Democratic Committee, told the reporter Monday that her committee “doesn’t feel that 32 months — two years and eight months — is an oversight. But, the electorate will look forward to being ensured the transparency they are entitled to under law.”

In November 2016, Ms. Brach-Williams handily defeated incumbent Democrat Mary Dudley for a Town Board seat, and was appointed by Supervisor Gary Gerth as deputy supervisor in January 2017.

Mr. Gerth won in a squeaker over incumbent Democrat Jim Dougherty in November 2016.